Women's World Cup quarterfinals schedule, bracket, players to watch as Team USA goes for another gold medal — SkimNews
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- China and Australia secured the final two quarterfinal spots Wednesday with narrow victories over Puerto Rico and Italy respectively in Berlin.
- Team USA faces Hungary at 5:30 a.m. ET Thursday, chasing a fifth straight gold that would tie the Soviet Union's all-time record of five consecutive titles (1959-75).
- The bracket places USA and France on opposite sides, meaning they cannot meet until the final — a potential rematch of the 2024 Paris Olympics gold medal game, which USA won by one point.
- France has shortened from +700 to +480 odds after winning three group games by an average of 42.3 points, with Gabby Williams leading the entire tournament in scoring at 18.7 PPG.
- Australia's Opals are severely depleted heading into their Spain matchup — Sami Whitcomb and Alanna Smith are out, Ezi Magbegor's status is unclear — forcing 19-year-old Isobel Borlase into a starring role after her 30-point bench outburst against Italy.
- Emma Meesseman is top-10 in points (18.3), rebounds (8), assists (5.3) and blocks (1.7) as Belgium faces host Germany, which reached the quarterfinals for the first time ever.
Why it matters: The bracket essentially guarantees a USA-France final, and the odds gap is narrowing — France cut from +700 to +480 after demolishing group opponents by 42.3 points per game. Australia's injury crisis (three veteran leaders lost) opens the door for Borlase-led chaos against Spain and potentially clears France's semifinal path.
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